The cemetery at Norway Lutheran in Wind Lake, Wis.
Originally posted July 28, 2011, at Healing as a Sacred Path.Republished with permission of the author.
We buried my cousin Eric a few weeks ago in the graveyard of my home church, Norway Lutheran, in Wind Lake, Wis.
Eric had died Aug. 30 of last year in Seattle. He was cremated and a memorial service was held in his congregation there and also at Norway Lutheran, where his father’s extended family of Hansons live.
Over the Fourth of July, Eric’s wife and daughter brought his cremains back to the place on earth that he loved the most; his final resting place is next to my dad’s grave, at Eric’s request, on old Norway Hill.
It was a moving committal service at the graveside, led by Beth, Eric’s wife. My brother Jim lowered the urn into the ground and we all took turns replacing the dirt. Then we all had lunch together at the Hanson homestead farm, my home, where Eric spent many summers of his youth.
Eric was the first of my extended family who had been cremated and it got us into a discussion about that burial option.
Many family members think it makes sense. I, too, think that it is a good option. No embalming, just cremation and a memorial service.
But I’ve been reading about other options lately, particularly “green” burials, and I believe that is the option I would choose.
A green burial involves simply being buried in the earth in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket with no embalming, no metals, no concrete.
You are simply returned to the earth, “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” and your grave is maybe marked with a tree or a simple flat stone marker.
The graveyard, then, is more like a nature preserve, with trees and natural grasses. I saw an article about an early “hybrid” (meaning regular burial and green burial) church cemetery in Michigan that I shared with my brother, Jim, who is in charge of Norway Cemetery, encouraging him to think about acquiring another section of the cemetery for green burials.
Find a link to Karen Hanson’s blog Healing as a Sacred Path at Lutheran Blogs.
The Jews bury their dead in simple pine caskets. I do not know what is going on here spiritually; I cannot discern it, but I think we are heading into some deep water. The pagan ancestors of most of us ethnic Lutherans worshiped oak trees and nature. They were most definitely "green." Are we returning to this?
May God grant your cousin eternal rest with Him, and peace to those who live.
Remembering my death has always helped me to realize that God is greatly omnipotent!...I too have thought about a "green burial" although I do want a tombstone.
Karen, the pagan ancestors of the Egyptians embalmed the bodies of their dead to try and preserve them for a longer time as well as using caskets (sarcophagi)that would help preserve the body , a lot like we do to our dead nowadays I would think.
As Chemnitz pointed out in another thread, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has a great section devoted to the burying of the dead for Christians that's worth reading.
We could also have an option for buying carbon credits to offset the carbon cost of cremation for those people who want to be interred in their church's columbarium, yet still want to be 'green.'
Or, to be even 'greener', we could just eat our dead and/or feed our loved one's physical remains to livestock. Solve world hunger, space in the cemetary and any guilt over incorrect burial with Soylent Green!
Although I think discussion of this topic is important, and that I think the guiding principles for burial should include thinking about hygeine and long-term practicality along with the wishes of the departed and loved ones', I see a false idol in this need to 'be green'. I think a need to 'be green' unduly burdens consciences and does not drive sinners to Christ.
Regarding going green: I am told this story is true. Historically true or not, it contains a certain truth. Years ago McDonald's wrapped their hamburgers in paper. People complained that was an unnecessary waste of trees. So McDonald's found a new space-age material to put their hamburhgers in that would save trees: styrofoam! Well, we all know the environmental concerns with styrofoam. So, now McDonald's has found a new green solution: paper.
The point: scientific knowledge is incomplete and imperfect, and always changing. What we think is green and helpful today might turn out to be actually harmful tomorrow. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have, but we need to be careful about not turning science into dogma we slavishly follow, and not judging those who dare to question the god "Science."
My big concern about green burial is that some people see salvation as nothing more than returning to the elements from which we came and acheiving eternal life by melting into the biosphere. Jesus offers us much more than that.
Chemnitz: Your last paragraphs are what I was trying to say in my comment. So many people are being subtly deceived by New Age -- really "Old" Age pagan beliefs. Paganism is a religion, and much of the Environmentalist Movement leans in that direction. I have a friend in NJ (ELCA) whose church just had a Green VBS. Why not just have a VBS? Isn't the Gospel enough? I am sure even "Peter" would agree with this.
First, Peter is right about considering multiple aspects of whatever means we use to deal with a dead body.
Second, I understand that sometimes being green gets shoved down our throats, but seriously...
I'd rather be the best steward of God's earth that I can be using the gifts of ever-evolving knowledge and science, than knowingly impose more trash and contribute to a hopeless future. The fact of the matter is that we aren't here just to be reunited with the dirt and become one with Jesus. Jesus offers us A LOT more than that...like this love which calls us to love our neighbors and to love God (which, I believe, implies loving the rest of creation).
I was skeptical of this green 'movement', until I sat back and thought about how much stuff I throw away. It had nothing to do with whether or not it was a 'false idol,' but had everything to do with taking care of God's world.
We can pick at anything and make it a false idol. We can make assumptions and say, "Ooooh, it's pagan!" Or, we can look at it like people who care about all of God's creation and realize that God works in ways far beyond our comprehension and say, "Maybe, these folks who have different beliefs do some things that we could do, things that God might be OK with." We can call this a burden...but if I recall, no one ever told me that living in the grace and love of Christ was easy. It involves questioning science (or anything that prompts living in a certain way). Sometimes it also involves being humbled and shown that we might not be getting it right.
I don't care if anyone buys into being 'green' or not. I hope and trust that in the love of Christ that we continue to look at the ways in which we love God and neighbor. I pray that we make our decisions to live in certain ways based on how we can most effectively do that--whether it's specifically Lutheran or not. Maybe, I'm just becoming an idealist.
I agree with katie's point that we need to be stewards of God's creation. In Genesis we are called to be stewards of creation, and to care for it and allow it to flourish as it is meant to. This world was not created for humans to destroy and treat it as we wish. Humans have this great responsibility to care for it as God would care for it.
In my interpretation of this, I see caring for creation as part of my responsibility as a member of the Kingdom of God. I try to "be green" so that future generations can see God's glory in the flourishing forests, in the crashing of the waves of a clean ocean, in hearing natural sounds in the wilderness. I care for creation so that people across the world are not impacted by global warming or climate change, because the people most affected by rising seas, droughts and floods are not the people in my affluent suburb, it is the people living in poverty, the people who rely on subsistence farming so they can live. And when the climate shifts so that people cannot survive the way they are accustomed to surviving, then we have a major problem. I care for creation because this is one way I know that I can try to care for all of humanity, and this is the duty of Christians worldwide.
katie and rebecca,
While I agree that we are required to be good stewards of the earth, that's not what being Christian is about. Good stewardship is commanded by the Law and that's for everyone. It's a duty of people worldwide, not just Christians. It's a good thing this isn't what Christianity is about, because 'green' burials aren't enough where being good stewards is concerned. In fact, no matter how hard we try, we're going to fail. To talk about Genesis, Gen 6 talks of humanity cursing the earth with its sins. That's played out in the pollution and such that we do. God's response is the Flood.
What we have as Christians is God's Promise that our sins are forgiven in Christ's death and resurrection alone and only, no matter how we've screwed things up. God is the one who cares for and redeems creation, not us. We get to participate in this activity... in Christ this is not a burden (see Matt 11:30). We do not fear the cross when we trust Christ.
Peter,
I agree with you that Christianity is not all about being good stewards of the earth, and I know that humans are not the ones who can truly redeem creation. However, just because we are sinners and are broken does not mean that we can sit back and just accept that. Luther writes about how, after we are redeemed by God's grace, we should be filled with that grace and love and should show that love through actions, knowing that these actions do not sanctify us but that they are an expression of God's love and grace. Green burials aren't enough of a step towards being good stewards, but they are a start.
If you haven't already, you should read the ELCA social statements that address the environment (Caring for Creation: VIsion, Hope and Justice, and Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All). I'm interested in what your thoughts about these guidelines and ideas that the ELCA proposed regarding the environment.
rebecca,
The social statement is an example of typical views of the(controversial) 3rd Use of the Law (the Law as a moral guide in living). The theology goes we're sinners (but doesn't get it deeply enough-- there's no acknowledgement that God's response to human sin is not upset, but wrath. God sent the Flood.) Then we're saved by Christ, which is good, but then it goes to a listing of all the rules that we now need to follow. That's 3rd Use, and is a problem for two big reasons- 1) it gives the Law the final Word and 2) the Law's Word is always accusatory (there's lots of talk about justice in that social statement... God's justice was the Flood). That's not Good News at all.
The problem I have with green burials is that if one is doing them because one needs to be (or wants to walk towards being) a 'good steward', one's living under the Law. You won't ever be a good enough steward. If you even think it is a start on the path, you're under the Law. Part of the problem is that the word "green" itself in this context is idolatrous. It is a value word, and urges judgment based on how well one cares for the environment and not even necessarily keeping the whole of the Law.
If it particularly appeals to someone to be buried without embalming, etc, or they prefer a wooden casket, etc, etc, these sorts of burials should be considered. Otherwise, I think it unduly burdens consciences with worry over which type of burial is 'most right'.